All the King's Horses
by HawkfrostsAvenger
Summary: Gray, much to his dismay, had always felt something more when he looked at the young Outsider, Toki Hana, than just friendship. But he was, after all, a gentleman, and certainly he couldn't pine after the Hatter's lover. But a twist of events during a territory battle changed everything- Blood was gone, and it was up to the lizard to comfort the one he left behind. Gray's POV.


I'm sure by this point you've heard the tale of the young girl who discovered Wonderland; more than likely by now, even the story of the girl who was kidnapped and taken there. Of course, there's another story that stands out- perhaps you're familiar with it as well- about a clumsy and quite eccentric young woman that managed to stumble into the magic world within the rabbit hole.

My story is also about this girl, in fact- a certain "Toki Freaking Hana".

While my encounters with her had usually been quite brief, I always did enjoy them. The usual humor in my day consisted mainly of my antagonizing Master Nightmare with talk of work and doctors, for as much as I respected him he certainly could be frustrating. She, however, always seemed to have something to say, never the girl to hide what she was thinking. That day, though... that day was very different.

I heard a few knocks on my bedroom door, and with a frustrated curse under my breath I fended off sleep to answer it. I had finally gotten relaxed after a long day's work, too. "What do you want?" I grumbled as I threw on a shirt sloppily, not much caring as to who was calling at such an hour. I knew full well that my master hated being in the waking world, so if he needed something he would have come to me in my sleep, instead.

"I just thought I'd warn you, Toki's on her way here to see you." I was, naturally, shocked to hear his voice on the other side of the door. "And she's even less happy than you," he added, sounding hurt. I immediately felt guilty for having been so rude, even if I hadn't been expecting Nightmare.

"What happened this time? I hope she didn't have another fight with the Hatter."

The incubus was silent, and I realized he was gone already. Although it was off-putting at times that he could vanish at will, I was blessed to have such a kind and powerful master. I more carefully dressed myself, wanting to at the very least be presentable for the girl when she arrived. I buttoned up the cuff on my coat, walking out to the foyer to wait for her.

It wasn't long before the door was pressed open and a small figure flew inside, immediately clinging to me when she noticed where I was. Something was different about her- it wasn't that I was unused to her crying and arriving at odd hours, especially as of late when the quarrels between territories became more and more violent. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, though.

"Toki," I began calmly, a frown crossing my face as she sobbed into my coat, "what happened?"

"He... he's... gone...and...a-and-" she sobbed, until I cut her off by timidly pulling her closer. After what felt like forever, I finally decided to lift her up and carry her to one of the couches, sitting down and allowing her to continue grasping me fearfully. I used my sleeve to try and wipe her face, stroking her cheek gently in hopes of comforting her at least enough to get her to stop crying.

_'Miss Toki, I'll never understand what you're telling me if you don't calm down.' _I thought, not daring to risk saying that and upsetting her. Compassion was one trait I'd learned from spending time with Nightmare and the Outsider, at least in part, and in what Wonderland had become after her arrival it seemed to be a quite blessing. For the longest time I forced myself to think of the Hatter's lover as nothing more than a friend- not only was she an illegal immigrant that it was a burden to my master, but also she had grown quite close to Blood and I knew better than to fall for someone who was already taken.

"I'm sorry... Gray, Blood's dead..."

Those were the only words I needed; I immediately felt my clock melting in my chest, not wanting to ever let the heartbroken girl go.

"What? How could that happen?" I asked, unable myself to believe that the Hatter had been killed. "No, you can tell me later." She gave a slight nod and continued wailing, muffled only by the fabric of my shirt. I carefully removed the black coat and draped it over her like a blanket, watching her silently until she fell asleep, only then allowing my grip on her to loosen. She was firmly attached to my arm and finally looking peaceful, or I would have taken her to a bedroom and allowed her to sleep there. Her delicate warmth on my side felt very unusual, even compared to the other times shed clung to me for comfort.

I hated it, but at that moment I realized something- I was relieved that the Hatter was gone. Ecstatic, even. It was a disgusting feeling, but even knowing that she had lost someone she cared about so much, loved even, there was still that tiny glimmer of hope within my clock that made me wonder if maybe I could have a chance with her.

She woke up in about an hour, at which point I asked if she wanted a bed to sleep on. "Please don't leave me," she pleaded, and with a bit of reluctance to make such an offer, I asked if she would rather stay in my room with me. "I-I'm sorry..."  
"No, no... you're fine." I brushed the hair out of her face and tucked my arms under her, holding her head close to my shoulder when I lifted her off the couch. She felt so meek, fragile in my arms that I worried I would snap her in half when I went to open the door. My bed was big enough for both of us, though indeed something felt odd about doing that, even if it was to comfort her, so soon after the Hatter had passed.

She'd always said I was more of a maternal figure to her, anyway. I couldn't really ever figure out why she thought I was so... feminine, but the thought of her family-like attraction to me made it all seem less inappropriate, so to speak. I removed my coat and vest, hanging the latter tidily back in the closet, though the coat would need a bit of washing after being used as a handkerchief.

I offered her one of my shirts to sleep in, and she seemed to have no problem with changing in front of me. I closed my eyes for her, at least, lifting the covers for her. I sat beside her, resting my head on the pillow beside hers, and kissing her forehead. "Try to get some sleep, all right?"

"Yeah..." She pressed her head against my chest, drifting off silently.

I prayed silently that when I opened my eyes, she would be back home in the Hatter's arms.

/AN: Wow, this... took longer than I wanted to get typed. The important thing is that now it's done, at least. In any case, I've learned something: writing as Gray is HARD. I love him to death, but gods it takes forever to use his point of view.

For another story I wrote by him, I have _Mercenary_, my take on Gray's back-story. This story's counterpart will eventually be posted, called _All the King's Men_, which will be told by Ace :3


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